


A Hundred Kisses

by DinoDina



Category: Torchwood
Genre: A lot of kissing, Drabble Collection, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-22 05:39:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 15,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9585779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinoDina/pseuds/DinoDina
Summary: A hundred kisses between Jack and Ianto.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Started on 10-04-16. Cross-posted on ffn.

Ianto looked around at the serene landscape. Grass, flowers, small cottages, a clear blue sky, and, a little to the left, Jack. The last rays of the French sun invitingly shone down on them as they walked to one of the cottages; a small inn, a room in which Jack had rented.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, watching Ianto examine the cobblestones under their feet.

Ianto nodded. He'd been to Paris, and liked it well enough, but there were few things that could replace the charm of an old village. Jack, too, looked charming and relaxing in the new light.

Jack drew him into his side as they entered the inn and proceeded to their room. "Since it's France… I can't ignore the tradition."

Ianto didn't have a chance to question him before Jack kissed him. No, not kissed him— _French kissed him_. He didn't even have the time to tell Jack that French kisses were not a French tradition.


	2. Chapter 2

A deafening crash echoed throughout the Hub.

Jack, noting the direction it came from, cringed. And when Owen guiltily called his name, he considered praying.

"I think I broke the coffee machine," Owen whispered when Jack ran to him.

Jack looked down.

Well, shit.

He looked up just in time to see the cog door roll open to let Ianto inside. Ianto, in a black suit with a purple shirt and a striped silver tie, who would be coming over to make coffee any second.

Unless Jack saved both himself and Owen.

With several bounds, he was at Ianto's side and drawing him into a long kiss. When he stood back, holding Ianto's arms, Ianto looked at him, puzzled but pleased.

"What brought this on?"

"Go on a date with me," Jack replied in a quick breath. "Right now."

"Now?" Ianto stared. "But there's things to do, and the Rift, and—"

"And I want to take you out."

So Jack did, taking him by the hand and leading him out of the Hub, leaving Owen behind to deal with the mess.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ianto?"

"Hmm?"

Ianto turned around to a firm kiss.

* * *

"Jack. Your files—"

Jack pulled back from the kiss. "Thanks."

"That's not going to get you out of doing them, you know."

"I know."

"Then why?.."

"Because."

* * *

 "Good morning, Jack."

"Good morning, Ianto."

Ianto was leaving Jack's office when a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned around, eyebrow raised. "Jack?"

"You kissed me."

"I've been known to do that on occasion."

"For no reason?"

"Oh," Ianto stared. "I—if that's not—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate—"

"No, it's not a problem," Jack grinned. "It's nice. Just, you know…"

"For no reason."

"Yeah." The tension faded from Ianto's face. "Thanks."


	4. Chapter 4

Jack liked to drink coffee in the morning. No, he didn't like it; he loved it. It was a perfect way to start the day: a little bitterness, a little sugar, a little milk if he was in the mood for it. Every morning, at nine o'clock.

He knew the routine just as well as he knew the person who maintained said routine.

His coffee, usually black, sometimes catered to his whims, delivered in a blue-and-white striped mug. He liked the man that brought the coffee just as much as the coffee itself, if not more so.

Because even if the coffee changed, the man's smile never did, pink lips turned up in that delicious way of his. They were an open invitation, Jack knew, and one he always thoroughly RSVP'd to.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, budge up," Jack whispered, leaning down to Ianto's head. "Come on."

"Go 'way," Ianto croaked and attempted to burrow into his pillow. "Or come back later, whatever."

"Nope. Now come on, let me in."

"No, Jack, I—I'm—achoo!"

"And up you get," Jack said decisively, hugging Ianto behind the shoulders and sitting him up. He raised a tissue to his red nose. "Blow."

"Thanks," Ianto breathed with relief. "Now go away."

"I can't get sick," Jack reminded him, pressing close to his back and breathing onto the back of his neck.

Ianto shivered. Then he sighed. "Fine."

Jack wasted no time in sliding under the blankets and plastering himself to Ianto's back. He breathed a kiss onto the side of Ianto's jaw, and, bringing one of his arms around to hold him, smiled. "Goodnight, Ianto."


	6. Chapter 6

"Can't get sick, my arse," Ianto mumbled to himself as he poured chicken soup into a bowl. "Of course this won't be contagious, it'll be fine—well, where are you now? I'll tell you where: sick."

The reason for Ianto's annoyance was sitting on the couch in his living room, bundled in several blankets and holding a box of tissues. Ianto put the soup on the coffee table and expertly stuck a thermometer into Jack's mouth.

"Ianto, I'm tired," he grouched around the thermometer.

"You'll live," Ianto said calmly. "Just don't kiss me when I'm sick next time."

"Can _you_ kiss _me_?" Jack said so eagerly that the thermometer fell out of his mouth. He looked down guiltily. "Oops?"

Ianto dutifully picked it up from the floor and wiped Jack's spit off it with a tissue. "No, you're not getting a kiss," he said firmly. "I spent the last week in bed, I don't want to repeat that."

Jack pouted. "Not even a small one?

Ianto sighed. "Fine." He placed a small kiss onto the end of the thermometer and unceremoniously placed it back into Jack's mouth. "But that's all you're getting."


	7. Chapter 7

Jack and Ianto lay in bed, hot, flushed, and barely able to move, their hands intertwined under the duvet.

They were leaning against the headboard, covered in blankets to the point that the only visible parts of their bodies were their faces.

Ianto miserably looked over at Jack, fighting a tickle in his throat and regretting thinking that he was over his flu. Jack returned the look and tried not to sneeze.

"Right." Owen, wearing a sanitary mask, plucked the thermometers out of their mouths. "Let me see… alright, fever, yadda-yadda-yadda… take the pills, drink plenty of fluids. And you're both on bedrest."

With that cheerful goodbye, Owen bid his adieu.

Ianto groaned, which set him off into a coughing fit, and Jack soon followed. They groaned again against the headaches that coughing had aggravated.

"Ow," Jack moaned hoarsely, Ianto nodding along and trying to save his own voice.

They smiled at each other before leaning in for a kiss, only to break apart several seconds later, coughing once more.


	8. Chapter 8

"You need to get this thing replaced." Ianto had frowned when Jack had first invited him to share his office chair. "It's as old as you are!"

But it wasn't quite as old as Jack was, and it had held up for the past several decades. Jack was quite attached to the chair, as a matter of fact, and so had patted his knee. Ianto—beautiful, ever-trusting Ianto—had obeyed and perched there as if it was a chair in and of itself.

And that had been Ianto told.

The chair had withstood Jack with multiple gold bars in his stomach—a story for another time—and it could certainly hold him and a certain Mr. Jones as they ravished each other.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack grinned up at Ianto, who had just set his dessert on the desk in front of him. As Ianto watched, amused, he took the top off the box to reveal a slice of cherry pie.

"You shouldn't have," Jack breathed, fork positioned over the tip of the slice. He dug in with a large forkful. Mouth full, he moaned, "I take it back: you really should have."

"That's why I did." Ianto kept watching as Jack stuffed forkful after forkful into his mouth. It was masochistic, in a way, to make himself watch Jack's manner of eating.

"You're brilliant," Jack enthused. Ianto just barely managed to make out the words.

"You're a mess," Ianto responded as Jack missed his mouth and dropped a cherry onto the table (never mind the fact that he picked it up immediately and popped it into his mouth).

Jack gave him a sheepish look.

"It's a good thing you're pretty." Ianto sighed and bent over the desk, where he kissed Jack on the chin and got rid of the trail the falling cherry had left.


	10. Chapter 10

Ianto, in Jack's opinion, was a very kissable man.

His lips seemed to have been made for the activity, his cheeks were too smooth to be denied the attention, and his neck was absolutely tantalizing. His forehead, his nose, his jaw… Ianto's hands, too, strong and capable, begged to be held and caressed. To Jack, it would have been a crime not to kiss every inch of skin that Ianto displayed so freely.

But then—then—was the part of Ianto that was so expertly hidden.

Jack wanted to kiss his shoulders, his long, perfect collarbones, the hollows of his hipbones. He wanted to map out every inch of Ianto there was, both with his hands and with his mouth.

And with every little kiss, every time he could get close enough to do so, Jack would get just a little closer to his goal.


	11. Chapter 11

Ianto looked at his kitchen. He looked at Jack, standing sheepishly in the doorway, covered in flour and frosting. He looked at the bright pink cake on the kitchen table. Then back at Jack.

Jack stared back. He opened his mouth to explain: to apologize, to defend himself, to tell Ianto to leave and pretend that he didn't see anything and pretend to be surprised several hours later at dinner.

Ianto stared some more. He smiled. "Thank you."

"I destroyed your kitchen and you ruined your surprise," Jack blurted out almost immediately. "You're…"

"Thankful, yes." Ianto walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Jack."

This would be a birthday he would not forget—it would be, when he and Jack would have their dinner and he would pretend not to know about the cake that Jack had baked all night from scratch out of the ingredients in Ianto's kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

They were in a park on a sunny Saturday in the middle of July when Jack got the urge to kiss Ianto.

Suddenly, Jack found himself in a difficult position. On the one hand, he and Ianto were in what he assumed to be a committed relationship, and there was no problem with wanting a kiss on a nice, summer day. On the other hand, Ianto was talking to Toshiko, having just given her a dandelion. And—this was perhaps the most important reason—he and Ianto had never kissed in public before.

Sure, it was a two-way street, but Ianto was a naturally reserved person. Not to mention the fact that interrupting the conversation would have been very rude.

Jack attempted to reign in his errant feelings, just in time for Ianto to approach him.

"Lovely weather." Jack pointed out the first thing that came into his head.

Ianto laughed. "Come on, Jack, you're a good ten feet behind the rest of us."

Then, maybe to give Jack some encouragement or to tease him for his ridiculousness, he leaned in and brushed a chaste kiss against Jack's cheek.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack was hungry. He'd left the Hub even after Ianto had, needing to do a few last-minute administrative things that he didn't want to burden the Welshman with. Now, he stood at Ianto's doorstep, fiddling with his keys and thinking of what to have for dinner.

Or, the thought came to him when he entered the living room and saw Ianto on the couch, who to have for dinner.

"Oh, hello, Jack," Ianto smiled up from the book he was reading.

"Um…" Jack licked his suddenly very dry lips. "Hi?"

Ianto marked his page with a bookmark before setting the book aside and standing up. Jack ran his eyes down his body in appreciation.

Ianto gripped one of his shoulders and placed small his on Jack's lips. he walked over to the kitchen. "Dinner?"

Jack nodded. Then, when Ianto bent over to retrieve a pot, swallowed hard. "Where are your clothes?"


	14. Chapter 14

_This was..._ Ianto ran his eyes up and down the person in front of him. In the end, he decided on _Unusual_.

Then again, "unusual" was a very broad word, as was "usual".

He settled for looking over the person again.

"Eet eez very… unusual… seeing you heere," there was a smile, "Meester Bond."

"Is it?" Ianto forced out a serious tone.

"Yes, Meester Bond." A flutter of insanely long eyelashes. "And now thet you're heere… are you staying, Meester Bond?"

"I am if you drop the accent." Ianto ran a finger up a muscular arm. "Miss Harkness."

"As you wish, Mr. Bond." Jack smiled back, placed a teasing kiss onto Ianto wandering hand, and allowed himself—or herself, as the getup suggested—to be lead into the ballroom of the annual UNIT Halloween party.


	15. Chapter 15

"You're perfect," Ianto whispered against Jack's lips, pressing another kiss against them. "Absolutely perfect."

Jack scoffed in an almost involuntary response. Ianto frowned and stopped the kissing. Jack looked at him curiously.

"You're wrong, Jack," Ianto breathed out. Something dark flashed through Jack's eyes. "You're so, so wrong. You're kind"—here, Ianto kissed his forehead—"and brave"—more kisses, moving down his face—"and selfless"—his neck, now—"and smart"—kiss—"and beautiful"—kiss—"and, at the risk of making your head swell, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Jack stared, but Ianto wasn't done, cutting off his protest of "Ianto—"

"You're incredible." Ianto moved back up to his lips. "And you're so strong."

"Ianto—"

Jack's final protest was cut off by a kiss, and Ianto continued kissing him, kissing every part of Jack's perfect being.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack loved Ianto's suits.

He loved the texture, the color, the professional air they gave to his young lover. He liked the pinstripes and he liked solid colors, the black and the less austere ones Ianto wire outside of work.

He liked the waistcoat that Ianto wore to add on to the ensemble, which gave his outfit an old-fashioned look, and he liked the sensible belt and shoes that made the look practical.

More than anything else, he loved the ties.

Thick, thin, patterned, solid… it didn't matter. They completed Ianto's delicious outfit and gave him his final armor against the world.

But more than their practical use and their aesthetic appeal, Jack loved their personal use, and he didn't mean the kinky one.

It was easy to dislodge a tie from a waistcoat, even easier to hold on tight and pull. He'd bring Ianto closer and closer, and the easiest thing of all would be to press their lips together.

He loved the suits, both on Ianto and on the floor.

But most of all, he loved Ianto, and ultimately, nothing else mattered.


	17. Chapter 17

"Jack."

"Yes?"

"Your entrails are hanging out."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Are they?"

"Yup."

"Oh."

"Do you maybe…"

"What?"

"Want to do something about it?"

"Nah."

"Really?"

"I'll just—"

"For god's sake Jack, hasn't anybody told you not to die in the middle of a conversation?" Ianto turned on comms and spoke to Tosh and Owen. "Minimum cleanup required, guys. Weevil's sedated, Jack's dead."

"Dead?" Owen and Tosh chorused.

"I've got the Weevil in the trunk, and I'll get Jack in as soon as he's up," Ianto sighed. "Just give us a few minutes, we'll be back soon."

* * *

 

Jack revived with Ianto's arms around him and holding him down. Once he became aware of his surroundings, he also became aware of Ianto's frown. "Ianto?"

"Next time, try not to trip and impale yourself on a broken box, okay?"

Jack heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask." Ianto pressed a chaste kiss onto his lips before sitting up and helping Jack do the same.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack crossed his arms and raised both eyebrows. "Do I want to know?"

Ianto—right arm strapped up in a sling, heavily leaning on a crutch with his left—attempted to shrug. "Not really?"

"You're going to be the death of me," Jack sighed. "So, what… fell down the stairs? Car accident? Shot? Weevil? No, wait, I got it: alien virus."

"Fell off the swings."

"I don't think I'm ever letting you out of my sight again." Ianto frowned. Jack, in an attempt to make it up to him, placed a hand on his good arm. "Can I at least kiss it better?"

"I suppose," Ianto tried to shrug again, when, suddenly, Jack pressed their lips together and began to lead him away from the A&E to the waiting SUV.


	19. Chapter 19

Jack's hand was in his hair, his tongue in Ianto's mouth, his other hand holding him close by the waist, moving them closer and closer together. Ianto himself was holding on as tight as he could to Jack, to his hair, to his coat, to his braces and belt.

He felt the hard wall behind him, holding him upright just as Jack was, and he gripped tighter as Jack kissed harder.

It was nothing like their chaste kisses, nothing like the gentle or playful pecks they sometimes exchanged, and Ianto loved it.

He loved the rough connection and the uncertainty of the next movement, the almost primal rawness in their kiss and in their feelings, knowing that it was just as full of love and want as any other kiss.

He didn't feel trapped in the slightest, though he still felt the wall behind him, right next to Jack's hand, and went into the kiss with a new strength, knowing Jack was doing the same.


	20. Chapter 20

Ianto's desk was meticulously organized. Owen thought it was too clean, but Jack liked it exactly as it was. All three of his desks, actually—in the Archives, in the Tourist Office, and in the main Hub—were perfect.

Ianto could find anything at any time because he knew exactlywhere it was. He could leave at any time because he had a perfect system of organization and knew that nothing would get lost. He could even take inconspicuous naps at his desk, due to its shape being just right for his sleeping posture.

But Jack had a bigger compliment for the desk, one that, while being less practical in a professional manner, was certainly practical to him.

The desk was sturdy.

It was sturdy enough to hold up both of their weights on it as they partook in various after-work activities. (and Ianto was efficient enough to return it back to its impeccable condition).


	21. Chapter 21

Jack lay in his own blood, as he often did. The amount of times he insisted on sacrificing himself bordered on suicidal, and Ianto's own insistence on sitting with him until he revived was pure masochism.

Ianto held Jack's body with one hand. Jack would revive with a loud gasp, arms and legs kicking outwards. He was always in so much pain when he did, breathing heavily and confused, and Ianto didn't know if anything he did could help.

Ianto held him, now, too; he was kicking, screaming, crying, slowly coming back to life.

"I've got you," he whispered against Jack's hair, pressing a soft kiss against it.


	22. Chapter 22

Jack, just back at Earth, beamed at the man that had saved him. He'd been beamed up by Sontarans as a hostage, but with the aliens defeated, he'd been allowed home—and the Doctor hadn't even gotten involved!

To think, the minor problem of an intergalactic war had been resolved with an extra-dark blend of coffee—Ianto's coffee.

Jack ran towards him, coattails billowing behind him and his shoes getting covered in the mud of the Welsh countryside. Ianto, noticing him running, beamed.

Jack stopped about a foot away and returned the smile. He gripped Ianto's shoulders. "You're magnificent."

And then he kissed him, right there.


	23. Chapter 23

"I'm Lily." The girl leaned on her elbow, exposing her breasts and fluttering her eyelashes. "What's your name?"

Ianto would have raised an eyebrow if he hadn't taught himself to be a perfect gentleman. "I'm Ianto."

"And he's with me."

Jack, having so suddenly appeared at Ianto's shoulder, glared at her. He slung his arm around Ianto's waist, both his stance and the attacking gleam in his eyes daring her to say something. She pouted, but didn't argue, and Ianto followed Jack from the bar back to their table.

Jack, once Ianto put down their drinks, pressed their lips together, knowing that she was still watching, and sending a very clear message, much to the bemusement of a flattered Ianto.

_He's mine._

_And I'm his._


	24. Chapter 24

"How's it hanging?"

"...I hate you."

"That's… eh, I probably deserve it."

"Probably?"

"Definitely."

Ianto nodded. From his position, the action looked odd, and why wouldn't it? He was hanging by his feet from a building, arms tied to his body by the same rope holding him in place, his head about six feet from the ground, and Jack seemed to be immensely enjoying himself.

"Get me down?"

"Of course."

Jack dutifully turned around and swept away, his coat dramatically swishing around his ankles. Ianto stared at his back; would Jack untie the rope at the top of the building and send him falling? Or would he pull him up and untie him there?

Before Ianto could voice his concern, Jack was back, grabbing his face and pressing their lips together.

Smiling, he stepped back. "Always wanted to do that."

And Ianto waited once more.


	25. Chapter 25

Ianto was on Jack's lap in his office chair, as was customary during extended free periods of time. Jack was doing his paperwork with one hand, his other holding Ianto's waist. His eyes, too, occasionally strayed from his writing to admire the young man; and his lips, especially, strayed to Ianto's neck.

It was during a particularly passionate kiss that Owen thundered up the stairs and threw the door open with a loud, "Jack!"

The man in question whipped his head around to ask what was wrong, but the momentum tipped his chair over. The chair, with Ianto and himself still in it, crashed onto the floor.

"Ah, shit," Owen said eloquently, running towards them. He knelt down next to Jack. "Just found that Weevils have two livers, no need to faint from excitement."

"Wasn't planning on it," Ianto said tightly from where he lay underneath Jack. He clutched his right elbow and watched Jack glare at Owen. "From pain, on the other hand…"

"No one's doing any fainting," Owen directed.

Owen kept grumbling to himself as he began to examine Ianto, and Jack backed him up with a firm nod and gently kissed Ianto's forehead.


	26. Chapter 26

Ianto set Jack's coffee in front of him and had just turned around to leave when he felt his hand being grabbed. He tensed up instinctively, then belatedly realized that it was Jack who had taken it.

Jack showed no indication of noticing Ianto's faux-pas, his grip stable as he turned Ianto's hand palm up.

Ianto didn't know how to react when Jack lifted his hand to his lips and kissed his palm. He didn't know whether to relax his fingers or let them stay under Jack's chin, to tense his shoulder and upper arm or just let Jack hold him, to move closer or to stay at a safe distance.

Eventually, Jack released his hand and smiled widely at him. In the face of his confusion, Jack plainly said, "Thank you."

Ianto took his cue to leave, wondering at Jack's ways of showing affection and deciding that any strangeness was worth it.


	27. Chapter 27

Ianto was on the couch when Jack walked into the Hub. He was curled into the back of the couch, long legs hanging off the edge of it, still wearing shoes. His face was adorably scrunched into the crook of his elbow, which was acting like a pillow.

Soft snores reached Jack's ears, mixed with the half-whistles Ianto sometimes made when he was sleeping. He was still wearing his suit, Jack noticed, and not covered with anything for warmth despite the constant chill in the Hub.

Walking closer, Jack saw that the lines on Ianto's face had disappeared. Slowly, he placed his greatcoat over Ianto, smiling when the man instantly clutched it.

He'd give Ianto a few more minutes, Jack decided, until he'd filed the last of the papers. Then, he'd take him home.

Jack bent down to give Ianto a small kiss. But then he stopped; he knew that it would wake Ianto up, as most tiny disturbances usually did. With a final smile, he walked up to his office.


	28. Chapter 28

Ianto was used to receiving surprise kisses from Jack. His lover was a hopeless romantic at heart, and showed it whenever he could (which, naturally, took the "surprise" part from the surprise kisses, but Ianto didn't mind it nearly as much as he showed).

Ianto himself was much more reserved, and yet sometimes he gave into his inner Romeo—much more often than he admitted to doing—and wooed.

He'd give Jack a spontaneous kiss when he was doing paperwork. Or when Jack came down to the archives. Or to the tourist office or coffee machine.

"I like it," Jack had said once when Ianto kissed him in the middle of the Hub before lunch.

"What?" Ianto had wondered, still reeling from the publicity of his gesture and how hypocritical it made his previous protests sound.

"You." Jack smiled. "Just… being so passionate. Giving in to that passion. Letting me in."

Looking back, Ianto knew that it had been a big step for them, and he'd taken Jack's happiness into account.

Now, he gave Jack a small kiss _hello_. Smiling at the pleased surprise on his face, Ianto walked away to his own desk, putting just a bit more swing into his hips than necessary.


	29. Chapter 29

The siren blared, the Rift monitor showed nearly impossible calculations, and Gwen was babbling on the phone to Rhys about staying safe. To Ianto, that meant bringing out the backup SUVs. To Jack, that meant sending his team—his family—out into the unknown. To Owen and Tosh, it meant being field agents first and doctor and coordinator, respectfully, second.

From his angle, Jack couldn't judge the severity of the situation. He couldn't know who had descended upon the Earth to conquer and destroy. He could only hope that they wouldn't win.

Ianto helped him into his coat and smoothed down the sleeves.

"And out we go," Jack said softly, his attempt at bringing levity into the situation failing spectacularly. "Stay safe."

"You, too."

Against his better judgement, Jack brought Ianto in with a hug, then cradled his cheek. After a final—oh, he hoped not—kiss, he stepped back. "I'm holding you to that, you know."


	30. Chapter 30

Jack couldn't remember the last time he slept. He could remember the last time he died, but that wasn't a good way to keep track of the time, and he'd learned that the hard way.

Tosh was alive and well, having just checked in with him; as was Owen, who'd done that about ten minutes ago. Gwen was alright as well, as far as he knew, currently directing the constabulary.

Ianto was off on his own, as was everyone else, but he hadn't called. He hadn't texted, he hadn't—well, anything. And Jack would have been lying if he'd said that he wasn't worried.

But Ianto wasn't connected to him telepathically, even if it sometimes seemed that way. He was, however, in an SUV that was currently heading in Jack's direction.

Jack knew that because he'd noticed the car as soon as it had stopped next to him. Ianto smiled at him from the driver's seat. "Need a lift, Captain?"

His own SUV had been blown up, and now, Jack could have kissed him. He did kiss him, as soon as he'd gotten into the car.

Then, he let Ianto drive him to his next destination, and drive off again in a cloud of gas.


	31. Chapter 31

Jack was almost asleep when Ianto descended into his bunker. He'd thought Ianto would want to sleep in his own bed, had been too tired to drive to Ianto's to sleep there with him. But now, Ianto was lethargically undressing and crawling in beside him.

Bruised, battered, exhausted in every meaning of the word, Ianto was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, barely managing to mumble a "Goodnight."

Jack smiled at Ianto, already subconsciously burrowing into his side. His face was pressed into the pillow, his breaths coming in short whistles, and Jack, before closing his own eyes for the last time that night, kissed Ianto's forehead and wished him sweet dreams.


	32. Chapter 32

Jack laughed as he spun a slightly bewildered Ianto in his arms.

They hadn't planned on dancing, but they were—Ianto had been caught completely off-guard—and Jack was leading him like he'd always done it. It wasn't something they'd done before, and for the sake of his dignity, Ianto hoped they wouldn't again.

(But that was a lie, because Ianto liked Jack holding him just as much as he liked holding Jack, even if he _was_ out of his depth).

Jack did a complicated twirl as the music sped up, and Ianto found the floor surprisingly close to the back of his head.

He'd been dipped.

The music slowed to a stop as Jack leaned in for a kiss.


	33. Chapter 33

Ianto looked over his work with satisfaction. He'd finally finished filing the 1920s, and had also had time to clean his desk. All in all—especially with his date with Jack scheduled for after work—it was a good day.

His phone pinged.

_Reservations are for 7.00. Fancy dress?_

Ianto smiled.

_If I must._

Ding.

_You must. Want me to pick you up, or should we go from here?_

He thought for a moment.

_If my clothes are fine, I don't see why we can't go from here._

Ding.

_Then let's go from here. See you in half an hour! :*_

Ianto laughed, even if he was touched. It seemed like Tosh had been teaching Jack a few things.


	34. Chapter 34

"I'll pick you up at six," Jack had told him when he'd left the Hub at an uncharacteristically early time.

It was almost six now, and Ianto, because he had spent the past hour fretting, had been ready for fifteen minutes. He was sitting on the couch a few feet away from his door, just far enough for him to need a few seconds to walk to the door before opening it.

When it passed the hour, Ianto stood up and straightened his suit for the second time. It was hard not to pace as he waited, but he knew that Jack would arrive; there had been no message of lateness or emergency.

Seventeen minutes later, Jack rang his doorbell. Exactly twelve seconds after that, Ianto opened the door and kissed Jack hello, drowning out his apologies and explanations of traffic.


	35. Chapter 35

"I'll… I'll see you tomorrow, then," Jack swayed from foot to foot. "I guess… um, goodnight."

Ianto, standing in the doorway of his flat, almost laughed at the confused look on Jack's face. Jack hadn't left yet, was still staring awkwardly at him, holding Ianto's hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Captain," Ianto finally took pity on his and extracted his hand. Not knowing where to put it, he let it hang at his side. "Jack?"

"Uh…" Jack looked up from the ground and put his hands in his pockets. He took them back out. "I'll just be… on my way then, I guess."

"And I'll be on mine."

Jack laughed nervously. "I don't really know how to… that is, I haven't done this for… I—"

"You shut up and kiss me, and then you're on your way." Ianto proved himself by doing just that. From behind a half-closed door, he grinned. "We can only go on a second date if we end the first one."


	36. Chapter 36

Jack had just gotten back from an impromptu trip with the Doctor, and he already regretted leaving. The cells were filled with Weevils that had somehow taken off their boiler suits, there were several empty pizza boxes on the coffee table, and the light was on in his office.

The first, he could understand: aliens were aliens, and naked Weevils just weren't a good thing. The second was odd, since Ianto cleaned up everything, anytime. That might not have been a good thing, but it was a fact. The third worried him most of all.

Webley in hand, Jack proceeded up to his office.

Only to holster it when he entered, because there was Ianto, half-asleep and writing something in his journal.

"Where is everyone?" he wondered.

"Home," Ianto said through a yawn.

"You should go, too."

"And you?"

"I…"

"With me, I mean," Ianto coughed nervously. "To my flat. To stay… with me. With a key of your own."

Jack gaped. Was Ianto asking—

"Right now," Ianto added, getting up. "If you want to."

Jack's answering kiss was all the confirmation needed.


	37. Chapter 37

Ianto had just set down a stack of papers onto Jack's desk. The man, as always, was looking in his notebook when Ianto delivered the paperwork. Ianto supposed it was the 'if I can't see it, then it isn't there' philosophy.

He cleared his throat. "The papers you wanted, Sir."

"I didn't want any papers, Ianto." Jack shook his head. "And I didn't want you to call me 'Sir'."

"It's what gets your attention." Ianto shrugged. "And no, you're right: you didn't ask for the papers. Procedure did."

"Procedure can go help Owen dissect his Weevils," Jack grumbled. "Why does he still do that? We know all there is to know about them already; it's all he ever does!"

"He's bored."

"So am I."

"You have paperwork to fill out," Ianto offered. "And that notebook you're always in."

"This?" Jack held it up, displaying white pages.

"Yes." Ianto frowned, puzzled. "You're… quite confusing sometimes."

"I know."

"But," Ianto leaned over the desk and pressed his lips to Jack's, "I suppose I'll keep you anyways."


	38. Chapter 38

The night was dark, as nights often are, but quieter than most were. It was the middle of autumn and there were no people out, save two. Walking side by side, the two men weren't talking. They kept a leisurely pace, and if the streetlights worked better, one could see their linked hands.

But the streetlights _didn't_ work better, and the night protected their privacy.

One whispered into the other's ear. The other smiled and laughed, an open, clear sound that broke through the still night. He turned his head and brushed a kiss against his companion's cheek, and they continued on their way.


	39. Chapter 39

Jack didn't know how often Ianto went outside. But if his long hours in the Hub were any indication, the answer was either 'very little' or 'none at all'. His own opinion was that Ianto was far too pale for a man his age, even if he did look incredible.

The paleness emphasized, only too well, how detached Ianto was from the rest of the world. Jack was sure that Ianto had never even considered what exactly the paleness meant.

He was so pale that any love bite stood out like a flower in a desert. Much to Jack's never-ending regret, the same could be said for real bruises.

Now, for example, he was lying next to a shirtless Ianto and tracing, with his eyes, an ugly trail of blacks and blues that ran down his torso. Ianto was nearly asleep, curled up on his uninjured side but smiling at the meaningless designs Jack was tracing into his hip.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered, fingers ghosting over the bruising that would no doubt be painful in the morning.

"'s okay," Ianto sighed.

"No, it's not," Jack protested.

But what could he do? He couldn't even kiss Ianto better, but—he leaned down—he could try.


	40. Chapter 40

"Ianto!"

Ianto turned with a smile to Tosh and Owen. "I guess that's my cue to leave you."

They nodded as Jack yelled again, and watched Ianto take his time in ascending the stairs to the office.

"Do they really think they're fooling anyone?" Owen scoffed as Ianto walked inside and was met with a kiss. "The windows are glass!"

"But we're not snooping or gossiping, are we, Owen?" Tosh pointedly turned away even though she knew Jack and Ianto were discreet with office hiding places (which they'd just moved to).

"Of course not." Still snickering, he did as directed. After a pause, he grinned at her. "Hey… if they're unprofessional, does that mean that we?.."

"Of course."


	41. Chapter 41

Jack hated conferences with a passion. He hated the bureaucrats, the fake smiles, the small-talk, the kissing up—everything. But what he hated more was leaving Cardiff to meet those people; leaving his family to walk around among mannequins.

He regretted not being able to bring Ianto to the conferences, but they were understaffed enough with him gone. They could have made a trip of it. As it was, he would have to settle for letting Ianto drive him to the train station.

"Don't work too hard, okay?" he said, kissing Ianto goodbye. "It's not worth you dropping from exhaustion."

"I won't," Ianto promised with a smile. "Don't miss your train."

"I won't."

"It's moving away," Ianto pointed out wryly, pointing to the slowly-moving carriage.

"Ah, shit." Jack pecked him on the nose (or somewhere in the vicinity of the nose), and jumped onto one of the steps just as the train picked up speed.


	42. Chapter 42

Ianto was meeting Jack at the station. One week apart, and Jack felt like he'd almost gone insane. He hadn't even had the time to phone Ianto during his stay in London, both of them being too busy to even try.

"Jack!" he heard when he got off the train and taken a few steps.

"Ianto!" he returned eagerly, and ran at him. Jack threw his bag to the ground and gathered Ianto into his arms for a long kiss.

Then, he took Ianto by the hand, picked up his bag, and led the way out of the station to the waiting SUV.


	43. Chapter 43

Ianto had bad habits. Most people did, and Jack understood that, but it was different when it came to Ianto. He found himself being fiercely protective—finding also that Ianto felt the same towards him—as well as strangely romantic.

The first time he'd organized a surprise date—it wasn't really spontaneous, because he'd looked up rift activity and had booked the restaurant the week before, but still—Ianto had been suitably surprised.

He'd given Jack that sweet, half-hidden, pleased smile that barely ever came out to play, then had bitten his bottom lip and allowed the date to proceed.

It was then that Jack began to notice the habits. No, not the _habits_. The habit.

Ianto bit his lips.

It seemed to be uncontrollable, but Ianto always tried to stop when he noticed. Jack himself wanted him to stop ruining his perfect lips, but found himself mesmerized.

It was Ianto's bad habit to bite his lips, but it was Jack's bad habit to adore his quirks.

And it was certainly a plus—for both of them—that the kissing was great.


	44. Chapter 44

It was ridiculously romantic. So romantic, in fact, that Ianto rolled his eyes. He did so with all the exaggeration he could muster, making clear to Jack exactly where he stood on the subject. Still, he was smiling, and that was all that could be asked of him; he was happy.

Jack was ridiculously romantic, and he was ridiculously happy and pleased with that.

Dinner was lavishly done and expensive, the show was exquisite, they both wore their best suits, and when all was said and done, they returned to Ianto's flat.

There, they gave a perfect ending to a perfect evening, and Ianto pressed his lips against Jack's in a "thank you" for the date, letting the kiss convey everything he couldn't yet say out loud.


	45. Chapter 45

"You did it!" Jack, ecstatic, grabbed Ianto's face in between his hands and pressed their lips together.

And it didn't matter that everyone was looking at them—the team, UNIT, select government officials, and official reporters to the queen—Jack was happy, Ianto was to blame for the feeling, and he wanted to show it.

He wanted to show the world! This was bigger than their closest friends, bigger than UNIT, bigger than the queen's private reporters.

Ianto Jones was a genius—he was _Jack's_ genius—and damn him if the Welshman didn't get recognized.

Once again, against all odds, Ianto had come out on top.

Torchwood's budget had been raised once more.


	46. Chapter 46

"Hey," Jack smiled at Ianto, lying on the couch, and ruffled his hair with one hand.

"Hello." Ianto looked up as Jack placed a kiss on his forehead.

"How're you doing?"

"Good. Bored, but I'm alright."

He was right, there wasn't anything to do when one was confined to the couch. Jack gestured to his right leg, excessively casted and propped up on several pillows. "And how's your leg?"

"Alright," Ianto wiggled his toes at Jack. "Just as bored as the rest of me, though."

"Well, I'll order us some dinner, how about that?" Jack offered, too tired to make the food himself. "We can watch a movie?"

"I'd like that."

Jack put in a disc sat down behind Ianto, putting an arm around him and kissing him again as the music started playing.


	47. Chapter 47

The object that had come through the Rift was in a containment box, now harmless. Ianto held the box in one hand, supporting Jack with his other and quickly summarizing their situation to Tosh via comms.

Jack was dying.

Only in his screwed up life was that normal.

"I'll co-come back," Jack whispered into his ear, then coughed. "You wouldn't have. And now no one else has to get hurt."

"I know." Ianto softly kissed his lips. "That just doesn't mean I have to like it."

Alone in a room with his boss-cum-lover's body and the container of the alien virus that had killed him, Ianto waited.


	48. Chapter 48

It was just after midnight, and the others had all departed. All, that is, except for Ianto, who stood at the doorway of Jack's office. Jack, who had his eyes closed and was leaning back in his chair, breathing deeply and no doubt running through the day's events.

No one had been injured and there had been only minor property damage, so, all in all, a good day for Torchwood, but they had been run off their feet nevertheless. Gwen had left proclaiming of a bath with various oils, and Tosh had seemed to share the sentiment, much to Owen's amusement.

Ianto entered the office with measured steps, stopping just short of Jack's desk and leaving it up to his leader to let him proceed.

"Tired, Ianto?" Jack asked almost immediately, his eyes still closed and his voice weary.

Ianto hummed an affirmative response. "You?"

"Very," Jack sighed. "Don't think I can get up at the moment, though, gimme a minute."

Ianto hummed again. He took Jack's small smile as an invitation to come closer and perched on the corner of the desk. He stifled a yawn. "I don't think I'll be able to drive in this state."

"You can always stay here?" Jack offered, cracking open one eye.

Ianto nodded.

"And suddenly I'm feeling much more awake," Jack grinned and sat up straighter. He laughed at Ianto's alarmed look. "Not _that_ awake, don't worry."

"I don't think I'm awake enough _to_ worry," Ianto laughed at himself, at how he almost melted when Jack stood up put his arms around him.

"I don't think you're awake for anything," Jack brushed his lips against a still-sitting Ianto's temple. "Let's get you into bed."

Ianto had never heard a better proposition.


	49. Chapter 49

Jack looked over at Ianto, who was fighting beside him. Tired but resilient, Ianto… wasn't there.

Jack allowed himself a moment to look around, but only when he looked down did he see Ianto.

In a flash, Jack was kneeling by Ianto's side and helping him sit up. Ianto, one hand covering a large wound in his side—courtesy of the aliens' handguns—smiled blearily at him.

"I suppose telling you to leave me is out of the question?" he grinned, breathing heavily.

"Yes," Jack growled.

He had no time to do anything else; the aliens kept approaching, their numbers bigger and bigger. Slinging Ianto's free arm over his shoulder and helping him up, Jack prepared to move them forward. Instantly, beads of cold sweat stood out on Ianto's forehead and he grit his teeth, almost screaming. Jack pressed a kiss against his temple and began to move them back.


	50. Chapter 50

"You're cheerful today," Ianto commented lightly to Jack's smile as he entered the Hub. "Any reason?"

Jack leaned on the railing outside his office. "Do I need a reason?"

"Not really." Ianto shrugged. "But there usually is one."

Jack thoughtfully walked to the stairs. "I said that incorrectly, I think."

"Did you?"

"Yep." Jack began to walk down. "I meant to say 'Do I need any other reason?'"

"What's the reason?" Ianto wondered.

Jack broken into a grin as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Seeing you, of course!"

"Cliche!" Ianto called, rolling his eyes.

"But is it that bad?"

Without waiting for a response, Jack crossed the final distance between them and grabbed Ianto around the waist, using his surprise as leverage to pick Ianto up into a spin.

He slowed and returned Ianto to his feet, then leaned in for a triumphant kiss.

"So is it that bad?" he asked with an out-of-breath smile.

Ianto laughed. "No."


	51. Chapter 51

One day, the Torchwood vaults would run out of space.

One day, Ianto himself would be in there, although he tried not to think about that.

He'd noticed the melancholy look on Jack's face that morning. He'd been confused, at first. But, noticing the date, he'd understood.

Jack got the special coffee that day, and biscuits, and Ianto'dkept Gwen's prying and contradictory nature out of his office. He'd made sure that Estelle's favorite flowers had been delivered to her grave and that Jack didn't sink too far into his self-flagellation.

One day, the Torchwood vaults would run out of space, and Jack would not be able to live a day without remembering a person's death.

Ianto made sure to kiss Jack goodnight firmly before going to bed, reminding him that he wasn't gone yet.


	52. Chapter 52

Ianto wasn't breathing.

Ianto was bleeding.

Ianto wasn't moving.

Jack wouldn't stand for it.

Pushing Owen out of the way, ignoring his shout of protest, sitting in Ianto's blood; Jack positioned a hand firmly over the wound in Ianto's chest to stop the bleeding, cradled his head with his other hand; pressed his lips to Ianto's unresponsive ones.

Cold.

 _Ianto, please_.

"Jack, stop!" that was Owen.

"What are you doing?"—Gwen.

"Let me do my job!"

Tosh, panicked, over comms: "Oh, god, Jack, is he—"

_Please._

Jack pressed down harder. It had worked once before, so why not now? _Ianto, come on._ Just one more breath, and Owen would be able to help. One more breath, and Jack himself would be able to breathe.

"Jack, stop!" Owen, again. Pulling him away from Ianto, and Jack was going to protest, but—"I've got a pulse!"


	53. Chapter 53

"Ow!"

Ianto looked up from his notebook to see Jack glaring at his paperwork. The glare then turned to Ianto.

"Jack?"

"'ook w'at 'uou've 'one!" Jack accused, attempting to speak around the part of his right thumb that he'd stuck into his mouth.

"What have I done?" Ianto replied dutifully, eyebrows raised.

"'our 'recious _'a'er'ork_ ," Jack spat. "'ook 'w'ah id did 'o me!"

"I have no idea what you're saying."

Jack took his thumb out of his mouth, thrust it into Ianto's face, and repeated: "Your precious paperwork; look what it did to me!"

"That's your thumb, Jack."

"It's _bleeding_!"

Ianto sighed. "It's a papercut that's nicked your skin by less than a millimeter."

Jack pouted. "But it stings."

"Would you like some iodine?" Ianto offered. "I can get Owen, if you like."

"Or you can kiss it better?" Jack asked quickly; Owen _would have_ brought the iodine, and it _stung_.

Ianto rolled his eyes but conceded. "Now do your work, Jack."


	54. Chapter 54

When Ianto came into the Hub that morning, he did so through the underground entrance instead of the tourist office because it was closed due to the weather. His cheeks were an angry red, his scarf had torn loose from his coat, and his hair stood on end and had started curling from the melting snow. He looked, to put it simply, a mess.

To put it in an even simpler manner, he was absolutely delicious.

Jack, having seen him from his office, was waiting when Ianto came in to hang up his wet coat.

"Stop it," Jack said quietly when Ianto attempted to flatten his unruly hair.

"Hmm?"

He got up and went over to Ianto, who hadn't heard him. "I like it like this."

"It's a mess!" Ianto protested.

"I like it." Jack ran a hand along the curls. "A little wet, but when it dries—"

"I'll look like a poodle." Ianto gave him an unimpressed look.

"It'll be beautiful."

"You're such a sap."

Jack laughed and shrugged, because sure, he probably was. He rested his hand on Ianto's windswept cheek and it was still cold under his touch. "Keep it," he said again, leaning in for a kiss to Ianto's cold, chapped lips.


	55. Chapter 55

Jack and Ianto were in the back row of the cinema, a bag of popcorn balanced in between them on the seat. There'd been nothing good playing, but they'd wanted to go, and they'd gotten their wish.

Neither paid attention to the screen, more focused on the popcorn and on each other.

Jack leaned over the armrest that separated their seats to whisper something into Ianto's ear, causing him to stifle his laughter at the last moment in order to avoid disturbing the theater. Jack laughed at the glare he received and stuffed more popcorn into his mouth.

Several seconds later, he leaned over again. "This is no way to spend a movie."

"It isn't?" Ianto raised his eyebrow in an exaggerated gesture. "And here I thought watching you eat all the popcorn was all the entertainment I needed."

"I meant doing something else. You know, what most people do when they're not interested in the movie."

"Oh." Ianto grinned. "That would be a marked improvement."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Nothing." Ianto closed the final distance of a few inches between them.


	56. Chapter 56

Ianto shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around himself, but couldn't get more than a few inches. Half of his back was still uncovered, and he was cold, damn it.

He nudged Jack's calf with his toe; once, twice, three times.

On the fourth, Jack yelped and jumped out of bed, taking the covers and blankets with him. Ianto shivered more as the air hit him.

"Wha'wu'zzat for?" Jack gasped, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm cold."

"I could feel that!"

"Can you check the thermostat?" Ianto watched him grumble and walk away. "And leave the blanket!"

Jack came back not even a minute later, throwing a pair of socks at Ianto and climbing back into bed. Ianto, half-asleep but still freezing, snuggled into him; Jack's body temperature rarely dropped.

"I've got you." Jack kissed Ianto's (really very, very cold) nose, and put his arms around him, waiting for Ianto to stop shaking.


	57. Chapter 57

"Ianto?"

"Yes?"

"Do I look fat?"

"No."

"Okay."

* * *

 "Ianto?"

"Yes?"

"Does this shirt look too small?"

"Sorry?"

"Does this shirt look too small on me?"

"No."

"Good."

* * *

"Ianto?"

"Jack, you're gorgeous, let me read my book."

"I was just going to say that there's a spaceship just descended on the bay."

"Oh."

* * *

"Ianto?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm not getting fat."

"Okay."

"No, I'm not. Those were Owen's shirts."

"How on Earth… no, you know what, I'm not going to bother asking."

* * *

"Ianto?"

"Yes?"

"You're really pretty."

"Oh. Thank you, Jack."

* * *

"Ianto."

"Jack."

"Ianto."

"Jack."

" _Ianto_."

"What do you want?"

"I don't know; I just want to spend time with—"

"Happy?"

"You just kissed me."

"Yes. Happy?"

"Yes."

"Good."


	58. Chapter 58

Jack woke up to a pleasant smell. Not yet having regained full consciousness, he relied on his sense of smell alone to become familiar with his surroundings.

He was in Ianto's bed; he knew by the musk on the pillows. It was morning; that, he knew by the smell coming from the open windows, thanks to his superior tenses. And—and this was the most important of all—Ianto was making breakfast.

His nose led him into a sitting position, and from there, Jack opened his eyes—only to see Ianto's.

His lover's clear blue eyes were staring right at him, turned up at the corners in a smile. Jack couldn't help but grin back as his eyes finished focusing. As he regained the feeling of touch, Ianto kissed him, whispering a "Good morning" against Jack's now-responsive lips.


	59. Chapter 59

Jack picked Ianto up at his flat. He was dressed in a full suit, to better complement Ianto's appearance and where they were going, and was holding a bouquet.

Ianto opened the door almost immediately. He was fully dressed as well, despite the fact that Jack had showed up ten minutes early. After depositing the flowers in a vase, he placed his hand on Jack's offered elbow.

"I'll be the envy of the ball," Jack said with an adoring smile, looking Ianto over. "What with you on my arm."

"I've never been on this end of it before."

"I think you're great there," Jack decided as they walked down to his personal car. He opened the door for Ianto. Once he was seated, Jack let go of his hand, pressing a kiss against the top of it before shutting the door.


	60. Chapter 60

Weddings always led to a certain melancholy feeling, for Jack. It left him morbidly curious about marrying again, and always served to remind him of his past, of his own marriages. They hadn't ended well, though they'd begun on a very good note.

But he knew it wasn't the time to think about that.

It was the time to think of love and happiness, of what he had and what he wanted to do with it, of the simple joy of sharing his life with another human being.

The priest instructed the happy couple to kiss.

In the pews, Jack leaned over and pecked Ianto lightly on the cheek, his hand moving to hold Ianto's.


	61. Chapter 61

Jack swayed to the slow music, Ianto in his arms and he in Ianto's. The wedding had gone off without a hitch—after the three alien invasions had been averted—and the happy couple was content to dance, lost in their own little world.

Ianto smiled at something he said, then laughed and quickly kissed him on the lips. Jack pouted, called him a tease, and led the kiss into a less safe direction.

Click.

"Thank you, gentlemen," the wedding photographer, an enthusiastic, portly man of about fifty, was saying. "That was a beautiful picture, definitely going on the album!"

Jack stared. Ianto, to his credit, only mildly blushed. Jack watched, comprehension slowly dawning, as Ianto said, "The happy couple's over there, sir," and pointed accordingly to a corner of the room.


	62. Chapter 62

Ianto stumbled over his feet and bumped into Jack, a large smile splaying out over his face as their eyes met.

"Hi, Jack," he said in a surprisingly clear voice, holding on to the collar of Jack's shirt.

"Hi, Ianto."

"Hi, Jack."

"Hello, Ianto." Jack chuckled to himself as he watched Ianto try to come up with a response.

"H'llo, Jack," Ianto finally said with a bright smile. With a look of finality, he tore himself off Jack and proceeded to try to walk his own way to the SUV, only to stumble again. Pouting, he gracelessly slumped onto the ground. "H'llo, Jack."

"Hi, Ianto." Jack knelt next to him. "Want to go home, now?"

"No."

"Alright."

"Jack?"

"Yes, Ianto?"

"Ja-a-a-ck."

"Yes, Ianto?"

"You're pretty."

"Thanks."

"Really," Ianto slurred, closing his eyes and resting his head on Jack's chest. "You really are."

"Thanks, Ianto," Jack murmured, pressing a kiss against Ianto's hair. "Now how's about we get you home?"

No answer.

"Ianto?" He looked down. "Oh."

Ianto had fallen asleep.


	63. Chapter 63

The way Jack saw it, eyes didn’t need to be open during a kiss. Not only did that ruin the sensory experience, but because it was plain rude!  
  
Especially if the person was kissing him.  
  
Jack was bad at many things, just as he was good at many things. And kissing happened to be the thing he was really good at. So, yes, if someone kept their eyes open during a kiss, he was not only offended, but concerned—what could there possibly be that was more important than the kiss itself?  
  
“Jack…” Ianto—whose eyes Jack knew were open—mumbled into his mouth.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“There’s a spider on the wall.”  
  
Oh.  
  
So it turned out that, sometimes, open eyes weren’t the abomination Jack thought they were.  
  
(It also turned out that that was the only time Ianto’d ever opened his eyes during a kiss, so he was forgiven, as well.)


	64. Chapter 64

Ianto stood making coffee. It was a cheery Monday morning, sometime in the middle of May, and the sun shone down upon Cardiff in an uncharacteristically benevolent gesture. Not that Ianto could see it, however, since he had spent the last several hours in the bowels of the Hub.  
  
Gwen and Tosh would be coming in soon and Owen had gotten to the Hub, complaining loudly about the unpredictable weather and lack of coffee.  
  
So, as was stated before, Ianto stood making the coffee.  
  
Minding his own business.  
  
Jack walked by, noticed that the coffee machine was on, and walked over to see how long it would take.  
  
He noted the time, watched Ianto for a moment, pecked him on the cheek, and was on his way with no further explanation than, “I felt like it.”


	65. Chapter 65

If Ianto reflected on the heated moments of his and Jack’s previous conversation, he couldn’t remember why he’d been so cruel.

Jack thought about his last comment to Ianto, and didn’t understand what had provoked it.

Ianto shut his eyes and tried to remember—tried very hard to remember—why he and Jack had started quarrelling in the first place.

Jack sighed, running his hands through his hair. He _couldn’t remember_ , dammit! What had brought on his rage towards Ianto?

He’d been in the wrong, he decided.

“I’m sorry.”

And just like that, they were melting into each other’s arms.


	66. Chapter 66

Ianto leaned over the back of Jack's chair, looking over his shoulder at the papers Jack was reading.  
  
“Hi, Jack.” Ianto purposefully breathed against Jack's neck, then watched goosebumps dance their way along the skin. “What are you working on?”  
  
“Nothing.” Jack lifted his head from the desk and smiled to himself. “What are you still doing here?”  
  
“Nothing much.” Ianto shrugged. He lowered his head so his mouth was against Jack's neck. “Trying to stop certain noble captains from overworking themselves, mostly.”  
  
“Oh?” Jack inquired politely. “And what happens if said captains stop working?”  
  
Ianto shrugged. He kissed the place on Jack's neck where he’d rested his mouth and stood up. “You'll just have to find out.”


	67. Chapter 67

On the first Valentine’s Day he and Jack got to celebrate when they were properly dating, Ianto was in the A&E. A sympathetic nurse was setting his three broken toes and Jack was hovering next to him, trying to apologize for dropping the flower vase.  
  
It was, in a painful and morbidly funny way, not at all surprising. If he was being honest with himself, it was exactly what he’d expected.  
  
Torchwood didn’t lend itself to romance and perfection, no matter how hard they tried. Oh, they’d go out to dinner and a movie, maybe even to the theatre, but at the end of the day, they had their normal: unlucky coincidences and ruined dates.  
  
Still, their second Valentine’s Day was spent in a restaurant.  
  
Their third Valentine’s Day was spent cuddling on the couch with ice-cream and cake.  
  
Their fourth Valentine’s Day was spent at the Hub, sleeping away the effects of an alien invasion.  
  
On their fifth Valentine’s Day, they went away to Italy for the weekend, and Ianto realized that no matter how often something tried to come between them, nothing ever would.


	68. Chapter 68

Jack carried over two mugs to the newly-assembled couch. He put one onto the coffee table—also new—and gave one to Ianto, before sitting down. After arranging the blanket over them, he pulled the remote out of the cushions and turned on the TV. A movie, one they’d both seen numerous times, started playing.  
  
He leaned forward to get his mug and settled back next to Ianto. “Not a bad first night, huh?”  
  
“Not bad at all.” Ianto smiled at him.  
  
Jack smiled back; he thought he wouldn’t ever stop. “We did it.”  
  
“I know.” Ianto looked around the half-assembled living room, his gaze wandering from it to the kitchen and hallway. He turned back to Jack and tenderly kissed him.  
  
_They did it._  
  
They’d assembled their house.


	69. Chapter 69

The lights in Ianto’s flat were off and the blinds closed against the brightness of the coming morning. On the fire escape, a stray cat yowled before jumping off and joining its companions. Inside, two empty beer bottles and two plates bearing the traces of pizza sat on the coffee table.  
  
On the couch next to the coffee table, under a small lightweight blanket, was the owner of the flat himself. But he wasn’t alone. Ianto was curled up on the edge of the couch, in such a position that he would have fallen off if not for the hand around his middle.  
  
In the morning, he’d complain of the aches of sleeping on the couch—that were bad enough when just he did it, but they were two grown men!—and of his foolishness at not moving to the bedroom.  
  
Now, Jack kissed his shoulder, lightly and unconsciously, before drifting off again and lulling Ianto with him.


	70. Chapter 70

“Don’t tell me you’re going to serenade me.”  
  
Jack, who had been planning on doing exactly that, shook his head, water flying from it like from a dog’s fur. Ianto, shielding himself from the rain with an umbrella, received a face-full of rainwater and laughed at the wide-eyed look Jack gave him.  
  
“Come on inside,” he urged, then fumbled for his key since the front door had already locked itself.  
  
“You’re not mad anymore?” Jack asked quietly.  
  
“No.” Ianto shook his head. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“I’m sorry, too,” Jack replied, and leaned in under the umbrella to seal the apology with a kiss while Ianto turned the key.


	71. Chapter 71

Despite his past being buried in the future, Ianto couldn't help seeing the mid-twentieth century as Jack's era. He had the clothes, adapted the attitude, spoke the language, and didn't listen to any music made later than the sixties. If not for his other attributes, Ianto could have considered him old-fashioned.  
  
Jack was anything but that.  
  
Pulling Ianto along in a mix of a waltz and charleston, Jack laughed; his eyes were bright and shining, the movements sent his hair astray, and the atmosphere was so infectious that Ianto found himself taken up along with it.

They danced together so often now, and still Ianto gave himself up to Jack—to the endless possibilities of their time together—with a kiss.


	72. Chapter 72

Ianto ran from the living room to the bedroom. If he could only make it there—it was just a little farther, he could do it!—he’d be safe. He skidded on the wooden floor before he could open the door, and heard footsteps behind him.  
  
He opened the door just in time to be tackled onto the bed.  
  
“Got you.” Jack breathed heavily against his face, straddling him and pinning his arms above his head.  
  
“I know.”  
  
“I won, you know,” Jack grinned salaciously. “What shall I do with you?”  
  
Ianto raised himself up on the bed and just barely managed to reach Jack’s lips. “Anything.”


	73. Chapter 73

At some point, they’d become domestic.  
  
It was a word Ianto had long since stopped using in accordance with himself—especially since he and Jack had gotten together—but here he was.  
  
They’d become domestic.  
  
And not in a small manner, either. No, they’d gone full-out.  
  
They took turns with chores without talking about it—the fact that they had chores in the first place was almost worse than that—, they had set routines in the house for morning and nightly rituals, and—of course—they had a house.  
  
The only thing they needed was a dog, but Myfanwy was already almost their pet, and they didn’t need another one.  
  
(They even finished each other’s sentences, which was very amusing to Gwen.)  
  
They’d become domestic, and the thought wasn’t as horrifying to Ianto as he’d thought it would be.  
  
Sure, they were in an almost scary sync with each other, and they had incredibly mundane rituals, but they’d done it so flawlessly. They’d come into that life together, completely unknowing it.  
  
They even kissed each other on the cheek just as much as on any other place, which—according to Jack, at least—was one of the biggest life commitments that could be displayed.


	74. Chapter 74

Offices had many practical uses.  
  
They were a good romantic location to meet a romantic interest or to ask someone on a date.  
  
They were useful as conversation-starters, for example: “I really like offices. What sort of fetishes do you have, and would you like to partake in any of them with me?”  
  
Some offices had beautiful views.  
  
Others could be admired for their interior.  
  
The objects in them could also be viewed: photocopiers, printers, computers, desks… (the latter of which, if sturdy, had various interesting uses).  
  
Jack liked offices for all of those reasons, and more.  
  
He’d even proposed a National Office Appreciation Day once, but it hadn’t caught on.  
  
His Office Appreciation list was long and old. But the last point on it was quite new, and it was simply this:  
  
_I like offices because they mean something special to us—it’s where Ianto agreed to go on a date with me when I thought he wouldn’t. He gives me these weird looks sometimes when we’re in an office, and I’d say it’s something like nostalgia._  
  
_I like offices because I like it when Ianto kisses me when we’re in one. It’s an anniversary and a fetish satisfaction all in one, but it’s nice when he kisses me._


	75. Chapter 75

They kissed, and the rest of the world fell away into nothingness. Ianto found himself lost, his senses functioning like they never had before but not detecting anything.  
  
He felt the blood rushing in his ears, could feel the painful beating of his heart, and his and Jack's rapid breathing. He was overwhelmed with the smell of Jack's pheromones, with the sweet yet subtle musk all around them both.  
  
One hand cupped his cheek before moving down to hold his neck, and he mirrored the movement instinctively. His shoulders raised with the passion and he tangled the fingers of one hand in Jack's hair.  
  
His eyes, closed for the duration of the kiss, fluttered open for a second before closing once more and letting him feel only Jack's lips against his.


	76. Chapter 76

Jack trudged into the Hub, the rest of the team trailing behind him. For once, Ianto was glad that he hadn't gone out into the field with them, and had to refrain from laughing when Tosh, Gwen, and Owen—all covered in mud—sent an equally dirty Jack angry looks.  
  
“Have fun, Sir?” Ianto asked as he gave into temptation and grinned widely.  
  
“You're going to get it, Jones,” Jack growled back.  
  
For a moment, Ianto was worried. But there was a playful note in Jack’s voice. The contemplation distracted Ianto, and before he had a chance to move, Jack was around him, holding him and passionately kissing him.  
  
“Jack!” He looked in dismay at the state of his suit.  
  
“Look on the bright side.” Jack smiled as he sauntered to the showers. “You get to shower with me.”


	77. Chapter 77

Ianto’s shoulder smelled like Jack. They’d been sitting side by side, curled up against each other, so of course his shoulder smelled like Jack; of course the back of his couch smelled like Jack.  
  
Jack, now, was at the door, putting on his shoes and just about to go out for milk—because of course Ianto was out of the central ingredient of the sauce Jack wanted to make—and Ianto was still sitting.  
  
Ianto got up when Jack managed to get his shoes on and straighten out, walking over to Jack and holding out his coat. Jack stepped into it readily, like he always did, and opened the door to leave.  
  
With one foot out the door, he turned around to say, “I won't be a minute,” but was startled into silence when Ianto leaned over and kissed his cheek.

It was a pleasant surprise, Jack noted. Ianto noted that his shoulder still smelled like Jack.


	78. Chapter 78

Ianto shivered in Jack’s arms. Despite the low moan he emitted against Jack’s shoulder, it was a good sign; he could still feel the cold, even if he was suffering. He wasn’t hypothermic yet—Jack knew all too well what that looked like—and hopefully the close contact would warm him up until Owen arrived.  
  
“’m cold,” Ianto whispered when Jack nudged him for a check-in.  
  
“I’ve got the heat on high, we’re sharing my body heat, and we’ve got the coat.” Jack remembered how Ianto had gone outside into the snowstorm to see what had happened to their car, and how he’d gotten hit with a flurry that had knocked him over into the embankment on the side of the road.  
  
“’ll be fine,” Ianto said, slightly faintly but coherently.  
  
Jack nodded and kissed the top of Ianto’s head, holding him closer, waiting for Owen to arrive and take them home.


	79. Chapter 79

One second, he was talking about trying out a new diet for Myfanwy, and the next, Jack’s world had been thrown off-kilter.  
  
Jack hadn’t expected it.  
  
At all.  
  
One second, he and Ianto were walking across the Plass to the tourist office, and the next, Ianto was planting a not-so-gentle kiss onto his lips.  
  
One second, he was smiling, and the next he was beaming.  
  
“What brought that on?”  
  
“Just felt like it.”  
  
One second, Jack had not even dared to consider that Ianto would ever kiss him so boldly in public. The next, he was being proved completely wrong and his world was spinning again, smoother, more right.


	80. Chapter 80

“Stop!” Ianto managed to shout amid breathless laughter, unable to do anything but squirm away from Jack’s deft fingers. “Ja-ack!”   
  
“No.”  
  
“Ple—Jack, come on, please!”  
  
“Take it back, then,” Jack demanded. He paused in the tickling. “Come on: I don’t have grey hair. And I want you to say it.”  
  
“Jack, I—” Ianto’s refusal was interrupted by another attack. “Fine!”  
  
Jack, working on the sole of Ianto’s foot, stopped. Still holding Ianto’s legs down, he raised his eyebrows expectantly.  
  
Ianto sighed and allowed Jack this victory. “You don’t have grey hair.”  
  
“And don’t you forget it.” Jack kissed the closest available patch of Ianto’s skin—the inside edge of his knee—to seal the statement.


	81. Chapter 81

"Do you remember our anniversary?" Jack asked as he and Ianto hauled a Weevil to the incinerator.

Ianto grimaced. "Which one?"

"Good point."

* * *

When Ianto got to his desk, there was a large bouquet of flowers on it. The bright orange card easily identified the sender.

_Happy anniversary!_

Ianto was sure that it _wasn't_ their anniversary, but the gesture was there. As was a garish bouquet.

* * *

There was a bouquet in the tourist office the next day, as well as a box of chocolates. Ianto raised his eyebrow at the CCTV but accepted the gifts. He read the note with a smile.

_So I don't actually know when it is._  
_But I'm happy there's something to celebrate!  
_ _Happy anniversary, Ianto Jones, whenever that may be._

* * *

At dinner that evening, Jack greeted him with a kiss and a single rose. It might have been sappy, but the gesture was there, and the kiss romantic, too.

Ianto grinned as he looked over at Jack, sleeping beside him. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and crept over to his desk, where he got a pen and a piece of paper.

Job done, he smiled again and got back into bed.

* * *

The next morning, Jack found a note in the pocket of his greatcoat.

_Happy anniversary! And many more,  
_ _Love, Ianto._


	82. Chapter 82

“For fuck’s sake, Ianto, just kill me!”  
  
Jack had said it before, when told to do paperwork or clean the SUV, and while it had never been one of Ianto’s favorites, it had always made him laugh and shake his head. Now, it was making him want to cry.  
  
“Nope,” he replied, popping the ‘p’ in an attempt to be casual.  
  
“Owen’s got his Hippocratic oath, and Gwen’s going to lecture me… and I can’t do that to Tosh,” Jack sucked in a breath and clutched at his thigh. “Ianto, please.”  
  
“So you’d do it to me?”  
  
“I didn’t…”  
  
Jack stared at him, eyes wide with pain and horror. Ianto, for his part, refused to show his own panic and settled on the autopsy table at Jack’s right side. He forced Jack to look at him, away from the stab wound he was focused on.

By the time he'd gotten there, Jack had already been beginning to heal, and though the two minutes' peace from death seemed like a good idea now, he knew Jack would later regret it.

He laced his fingers through Jack’s as a vicious spasm shook through his body. Jack gritted his teeth and threw his head back; Ianto took him by the shoulders and kissed his forehead as he screamed.


	83. Chapter 83

The water pouring down on them turned Ianto's carefully-styled hair on its end, and it now hung onto his forehead in small curls. Jack traced a curl behind his ear with a smile, looking at the water dripping from it onto his fingertips.

"You should just let it be one day," he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah… no." Ianto held Jack's hips just a little tighter, and laughed at the common plea. "It's too messy and you'd never get any work done."

"I like it."

"Then enjoy it while you can." Ianto nuzzled his face into Jack's shoulder as the man continued exploring his hair.

Jack ran his fingers through it, thinking of how he'd be able to convince Ianto to let off cutting it for the month. He ruffled it, but the usual effect was ruined by the water still beating down from the showerhead. He placed a small kiss against Ianto's hairline and, still scratching at his scalp, turned his attention fully back to Ianto.


	84. Chapter 84

"I'm sorry," Ianto said as he held an ice pack to Jack's jaw.

Jack glared, wincing when Ianto pressed just a little bit too hard. Still, he wasn't angry at Ianto—he had no right to be—but at the circumstances. "I know you are."

"I know I'm not a piece of cake to deal with," Ianto said, referring to the accusations he and Jack had thrown at each other, and the can of worms they had opened. He sighed. "But you're not a saint, either."

"No, I'm not." Jack wiggled his jaw experimentally; it still hurt. "Might have deserved that."

"Yes, you did."

"I thought you were sorry."

"I am." Ianto's eyebrows did a little dance as he tried to settle on which emotion to show. "I can't control how you react to other people, or how other people react to you, but I still stand by what I said: you can't pick fights when other people flirt with me, not when you flirt with other people, too."

"I can't help it."

"Yes, you can." Ianto shook his head. "You deserved getting hit just as much as the other guy. I'm not saying it was a pleasure, but maybe it gave you the kick you needed."

"I don't like it when other people flirt with you."

"You can't hide me away," Ianto pointed out. "You can't protect me from things like that, not when I don't need protection. And you can't say things like that, not when you act like you'd follow through on all your flirtations."

"But I wouldn't!"

"I know." Ianto nodded. "But actions speak louder than words."

"I wouldn't do that to you. Ianto… I care about you."

Ianto sighed again. "I know."

It was far from a perfect. And it would have to be what they settled on, unless they decided to talk it out. Ianto was prepared not to: they'd kiss and make up. But Jack leaned forward.

"I don't want to leave this here. Ianto?"

"Yeah?"

"Please?"

He sighed once more. "Alright."


	85. Chapter 85

Ianto, sans suit, bonelessly dropped onto the couch. Tosh, from the computers, threw him a sympathetic look before turning around, brushing back a strand of hair with a huff. Ianto smiled weakly at her.  
  
“Are we sure that alien weather didn’t fall through the Rift?” Gwen moaned from where she was draped over her desk, fruitlessly fanning herself.  
  
“Jack says no,” Owen grumbled. He ambled up the stairs and dropped down next to Ianto, throwing Jack’s office a dirty look. “But I think he’s wrong!”  
  
As if on cue, Jack opened the door. He’d stripped right before Ianto had—although Ianto had just changed into a t-shirt and shorts—and was now in just his boxers. Smiling, he said, “It’s just a heat wave, Owen; it’ll pass soon.”  
  
Owen raised his hand in a two-fingered salute. Ianto swatted at him with an, “I’m too hot to pry you two off each other.”  
  
Jack grinned wider. Once Ianto looked his way again, Jack blew him a kiss.  
  
Ianto rolled his eyes as Jack pranced back into his office, and motioned for Gwen to throw him an extra fan.


	86. Chapter 86

Ianto slowly opened the door to Jack’s office to see him hanging up on UNIT. For a second, Jack rubbed at his forehead, but looked up as soon as Ianto walked inside.  
  
“Coffee?” he inquired, eyes lighting up when Ianto nodded. “You’re amazing.”  
  
“I try my best.” Ianto smiled, placing the mug onto Jack’s desk.  
  
“Really, this is… this is amazing.”  
  
Ianto laughed. “That’s almost pornographic, Jack!”  
  
“I’ll show you pornographic." Jack leered. Then he frowned. “After I finish the coffee.”  
  
Ianto inclined his head in understanding, then leaned forward and gave Jack a small kiss on the cheek, before sitting down across from him.


	87. Chapter 87

Lips, any lips, were made for kissing. Ianto's, in particular, were made for kissing. And, to be more specific, they were made for kissing Jack.

It was this thought that Jack firmly believed in, this thought that had been a part of him even before he and Ianto had been seriously together.

Ianto's lips were soft and pliant, yet had the certain hardness all male lips did. Jack felt stubble near them in the mornings, their roughness when they got dry and Ianto forgot to put chapstick on, and the places Ianto bit when he got nervous or bored.

Jack kissed long and he kissed short; he liked when Ianto kissed him, as well, taking control of the kiss and doing _exactly_ what he wanted.

He liked Ianto's lips in other contexts, too, like the way they would curl around his accent when he talked or how the corners of his mouth would lift up when he smiled or laughed.

He liked Ianto's lips, especially because kissing them was such a clear statement of his feelings. Each kiss was a tiny "I love you."


	88. Chapter 88

"You're a genius!" Ianto's cry startled Jack out of his thoughts and causes him to forget what he'd been saying.

"I am?"

" _Yes_!"

Before Jack could say anything else, he felt himself pulled closer to Ianto, and lips met lips. He realized, then, that Ianto had pulled him in by the lapels of his coat—bless the coat and bless Ianto's love of it!—and quickly returned the kiss.

But all too soon, Ianto was running to where the local police were standing, his face red but happy as he relayed Jack's 'genius' idea on how to clean the park from the result of most recent invasion.


	89. Chapter 89

The moon shone through a space in Ianto’s curtains—he always insisted on keeping them a tiny bit open, just so could see the sky—but everything else was pitch-black.  
  
In the bedroom, barely visible in the dark, was a large bed and two figures underneath the blanket. They were half-curled around each other and perfectly still in their sleep.  
  
A clock from somewhere in the flat ticked quietly, marking the passing of time. It was drowned out by the rustle of sheets.  
  
One of the men in the bed turned over into a more comfortable position, then suddenly raised himself on his elbow.  
  
“You awake?” he whispered into the quiet.  
  
“I am now,” a sleep-muffled voice responded after a minute.  
  
“Sorry.” The voice sounded sheepish. “Wait, no, don’t go… I haven’t given you—that’s why I woke up, you see—I haven’t given you a—”  
  
“Goodnight kiss,” the other man finished for him.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Goodnight, then.”

The sound of a kiss, more rustling, a contended sigh of someone falling asleep, and all was quiet once more.


	90. Chapter 90

Ianto lay next to Jack, looking at his lover’s peaceful face. The blanket had gathered around Jack, the sheet had pooled around Ianto's hips, and Jack's pillow was almost off the bed. In the disorder, Jack calmly slept on, one arm curled around Ianto, the other on the pillow in between them.  
  
His fingers twitched in his sleep, grabbing at an unseen something, but he was at rest and Ianto knew he didn't have to worry about nightmares. The clock ticked away into the night and Ianto eventually found himself drifting off without fixing the bed.

He turned his head and kissed the tip of Jack’s hand, lightly so as not to wake his lover, and closed his eyes.


	91. Chapter 91

“Jack,” Ianto said evenly, looking in their shopping cart, “exactly how many cookies did you get?”  
  
“Um…” Jack’s eyes quickly ran over the packages. “…seven, eight… eleven… yeah, eleven.”  
  
“Eleven?” Ianto had known the number, of course, but Jack had said it with such casualness.  
  
“I like cookies!”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“And they’re on sale,” Jack pointed out, pouting in a way a grown man should not have been able to. “Look, they’re homemade!”  
  
“Jack, we can make homemade cookies.” Ianto mentally counted the supplies in the kitchen cabinets. “And—”  
  
The cookies were already out of the cart, and Jack’s lips were on Ianto’s with an enthusiastic “Why didn’t I ask that before?”


	92. Chapter 92

Ianto brushed an errant hair off his forehead, the heat of the kitchen having sent it into disarray. He looked over the cabinets, some of which were open, covered in flour, or recently emptied.  
  
“That's the last batch in.” Jack straightened from where he was putting a tray of cookies into the oven. “Sixteen more minutes, and we’re done!”  
  
“It's going to take a lot longer than sixteen minutes to clean this up,” Ianto pointed out with a sigh.

Jack stared.  
  
Ianto stared back, eyebrow raised.  
  
Jack nodded; it had just dawned on him that a large part of baking was cleanup.  
  
Ianto grinned as Jack rolled up his sleeves in preparation for the tidying. “Let's go, then.”

“Let's go,” Jack repeated confidently. He strode over to Ianto and firmly kissed him. Then, his steps just as sure, he moved over to the sink and began washing dishes.


	93. Chapter 93

Jack was talking to Ianto, meaningless things that mattered to other people and happened to interrupt their life over and over again, and then he wasn't.  
  
A strong hand, Ianto's, which he knew so well, was cupping his face and drawing him closer. Another joined it, holding him in place and telling him to return the touch, which he did, and grabbed Ianto's shoulders. He felt Ianto's need and want passed over through his lips, and he felt desperation and desire.  
  
But soon the kiss turned softer, and while Ianto’s hands didn't leave their position, they changed. They were no longer rough, and Jack felt almost a sense of protection from their presence. Soft and steady, he again leaned into Ianto’s kiss, gently cupping the side of his face with one hand. With his other, he took one of Ianto's hands off his face and held it, letting them rest against his heart.


	94. Chapter 94

Jack looked over Ianto’s shoulder. At first, that was that. Five minutes later, he leaned in, breathing into Ianto’s personal space. Another few minutes after that, he was leaning one of his arms on the back of Ianto’s chair.  
  
Only when Jack put both of his arms around him, did Ianto turn to look at him.  
  
“Oh, hi, Ianto.” Jack grinned at the raised eyebrow and questioning face.  
  
“Hi, Jack.”  
  
“Hi, Ianto.”  
  
“What brings you over here?” Ianto asked, shaking his head in bemusement. He turned back around to the program he was working on when Jack didn’t respond.  
  
“You’re working too hard.” Jack ruffled his hair fondly. “One of these days, you’re going to override that brilliant brain of yours.”  
  
“Not anytime soon,” Ianto assured him.  
  
“I’ll leave you to it, then, if you’re so sure.” Jack leaned further down and kissed Ianto on the forehead before walking away. “If you ever need a break, you know where to find me!”


	95. Chapter 95

Jack had never bothered to calculate his birthday—or his age, but that was a different story for another time—and Ianto knew that.

So, when a suitable time rolled around—and suitable meant invasion-free—Ianto organized a small soiree. That was what Jack called it later: a soiree. In reality, it was a small party with roasted chicken and cheesecake for desert.

Jack had almost had a heart attack when he saw the decorations.

After the laughs and exclamations of "What kind of party would this be if the recipient decided to croak?", everyone ate and the gifts were in full swing.

Ianto asked him later what he'd liked best: Owen's whiskey, Tosh's antique cufflinks, or Gwen's facial scrub.

"This," Jack had said, pulling him into a kiss.


	96. Chapter 96

The roof of the Millennium Centre was arguably Jack's favorite haunt. Ianto thought he was being needlessly dramatic; Jack just liked the way his majestic shadow spread out over the dark ground.  
  
Ianto reiterated: Jack was needlessly dramatic.  
  
Now that he had better things to do (read: Ianto), Jack spent less and less time staring over the city.  
  
Ianto came up with him when he did, though; just standing and watching until it was time to go home (because it was ridiculously cold on the roof, and Ianto really didn't like the cold). Besides, Jack didn't like being alone on the roof. He didn't like being alone in general.

So it was a natural conclusion before they would leave—a small kiss before they returned to the real world.


	97. Chapter 97

Ianto had a stuck-up nose. It was the very first thing Jack noticed when he took part in his favorite activity of the day: Ianto-watching. So, back to it: Ianto had a stuck-up nose. He had bright blue eyes, long, slightly outdated sideburns, and constantly-smirking pink lips.

He was beautiful. 

Still, Jack kept coming back to the nose. Sure, he loved the rest of Ianto's face: his lips, his cheeks, his forehead. He loved the rest of his body, too: his long limbs, his grace and purpose, the multiple things he covered up with the suits.

It gave Ianto a youthful appearance, a playful tone, completely unsettling the rest of the impression he left upon the world.

  
One day, Jack knew, he'd kiss the entirety of Ianto's body. But today, he'd kiss that perfect, beautiful nose.


	98. Chapter 98

When it came to kissing, Jack was an expert. It was all due to years of practice, of course, as well as a knowledge of human nature. He knew how to kiss for pleasure, for information, love, blackmail, desires—all of it.

And, knowing it all, he knew how best to please.  
  
He could reduce a person to a begging mess with just one kiss; any person.  
  
Any person, that is, except for Ianto.  
  
Months of trial and error had proven to Jack that the young man had nerves of steel and knew how to control himself if those nerves were compromised, which, for better or worse, was not an uncommon situation.  
  
Jack, at that time, had almost given up.  
  
But, more time had cleared up the problem—Jack didn’t need his charms and wiles to be with Ianto, he just needed to be himself. And it didn’t matter how he kissed Ianto, just that he did.


	99. Chapter 99

Sometime after their forty-third kiss, Ianto had stopped counting.

He knew it was ridiculous to do so, that kisses weren't something to archive or measure a relationship with. But it was something he'd done, albeit unconsciously. He'd measure the length of the kiss, how intense it was, how closely they'd held each other.

After the forty-third, it seemed pointless.

After the forty-third, kisses became too frequent, too rapid to count.

After the forty-third, Ianto allowed himself to focus on Jack's body against his, on the size of his hands, on how much emotion was pressed into him.

Kisses didn't need to be counted; they—no matter how great—were no measure for a relationship as, for lack of a better word, _unique_ as theirs.


	100. Chapter 100

It wasn’t something that hit Jack like a hurricane, sending him from his chair with a yell. The realization had snuck up on him, festering for a few months before he’d even noticed.  
  
And when he had… well, Jack was ashamed to say that he’d done nothing.  
  
He was scared, plain and simple, but he’d had so much to be scared of: rejection, denial, pain, the future.  
  
Except, not really, because when Ianto took him out to dinner and they held hands over the table, and Jack found himself craving more… he wasn’t scared anymore.  
  
He waited until the end of the meal, when Ianto had finished wining and dining him, and took Ianto’s hand as they walked out of the restaurant.  
  
Ianto was telling him about something in the Archives, and even though Jack was listening, he was distracted. In the end, he gave in to the urge. “Hey, Ianto?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
A pause. “I know.” Another pause. “I love you, too.”  
  
And a kiss. A long one, a sweet one, one that was the infamous and amazing True Love’s Kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with this! :D


End file.
